European officials have warned Donald Trump against threatening “sovereign borders” after the US President-elect refused to rule out military action to seize Greenland.The rebukes on Wednesday were led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said the principle of inviolability of borders applies to every country, no matter how powerful.
He added Trump’s statements a day earlier had sparked “notable incomprehension” among other European Union leaders he had spoken with.
“Borders must not be moved by force. This principle applies to every country, whether in the East or the West,” Scholz later wrote on X.
“In talks with our European partners, there is an uneasiness regarding recent statements from the US. It is clear: We must stand together.”
France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, also weighed in on Wednesday, saying Greenland was “European territory” and there was “no question of the EU letting other nations in the world, whoever they may be … attack its sovereign borders”.
EU officials, meanwhile, largely sought to avoid wading into the morass, although a spokesperson did confirm to reporters that Greenland was covered by a mutual defence clause binding its members to assist one another in case of attack. Advertisement
“But we are indeed speaking of something extremely theoretical on which we will not want to elaborate,” EU Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said.
‘We need Greenland’
The disquiet comes after Trump on Tuesday again floated his desire for the US to take control of Greenland as wel …
